Wheel



April 1 1937- F. H. LE JEUNE 2,076,789

WHEEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Aug. 13, 1 934 lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS A ril 13, 1937.

F. H. LE JEUNE WHEEL.

Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 13,1937; F, H, LE JEUNE 2,076,789

WHEEL Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4 sheets-sheet s INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April" 13, 1937. F. H. LE JEUNE WHEEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 13, 1934 I INVENTOR flank/Ale rTeV/Ze ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1937 PATENT OFFICE WHEEL Frank H. Le Jeune, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 13, 1934, Serial No. 739,653

4 Claims;

The invention relates to wheels and refers more particularly to wheel and cover assemblies. The invention has for one of its objects to provide a wheel and cover assembly which may be manufactured at relatively low cost and in which the cover may be readily applied to or removed from the wheel. Another object is to so mount the cover on the wheel that rattles and squeaks are avoided. Further objects are to provide access to the valve stem from the outboard side of the cover and to provide means associated with the valve stem for securing the cover in place.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description,

1.3 taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a wheel and a cover assembly showing an embodiment of, my invention;

20 Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2' of Figure 1.;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of v 25 F ure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a vehicle wheel showing another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a porno tion of the construction shown in Figure 5;

Figure 6A isan enlarged section of a portion of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a cross sectional view of a vehicle wheel illustrating still another embod ment of 2&5 my invention;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the'construction shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view through a vehicle wheel illustrating a further embodiment in of my invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the construction shown in Figure 9;

Figure 10A is an enlarged section of a portion of Figure 9; i

45 Figure 11 .is a cross section on the line 1 l-H of Figure 10A;

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view through a vehicle wheel illustrating still a. further embodiment of my invention;

so Figure 13 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through a vehicle wheel featuring a further embodiment of my invention;

Figure 14 is also a fragmentary cross sectional view of a vehicle wheel showing still another em- 55 bodiment of my invention;

fixedly secured by suitable means, such as the rivets 3, to the periphery of the disk. The wheel 15 is of the demountable type, the disk having in its central portion the holes 4 for receiving means for detachably securing the disk to the inner hub. The rim member 2 is a rim of the dropcenter type for carrying a pneumatic tire, it having the central annular well 5, the lateral annular seats 6 for the tire beads and the annular side flanges I for retaining the tire.

8 is the cover which, as shown, is a one-piece stamping arranged to clear and be free of the inner hub. This cover has at its outer edge the annular wall 9 which is located'within the annular spacebetween the outer portion of the disk I and the outboard seat 6 of the rim. The wall 9 preferably terminates in the peripheral flange I II] which has an external diameter preferably slightly less than the internal diameter of the outboard seat.

For detachably securing the cover to the wheel, I have provided the retainers II uponthe rim at the side of the axis of the-cover opposite the valve stem l2 of the tire. The retainers are arranged symmetrically with respect to the diametrical line passing through the valve stem, which latter extends through the outboard side wall of the well 5. The retainers are depressions formed inthe outboard seat'6 of the rim and extending radially inwardly to engage the outboard side of the wall 9 of the cover. I have also provided the valve stem cap [3 which is threaded on to the valve stem l2 and which. has the enlarged base M for abutting the outboard side of the wall 9 of the cover.

To prevent rattling, I have provided the angularly spaced yieldable bumpers l5 upon the cover and engageable with the rim. These bumpers are preferably formed of rubber and they are fixedly secured to the inboard side of the wall 9 of the cover by the sheet metal clips 16 which substantially encircle the central portions only of permit the end portions to engage the outboard side wall of the well.

To assemble the cover with the'wheel, the portion of the cover at the side of its axis opposite the valve stem is inserted behind the retainers, after which the cover is fulcrumed in place, at which time the valve stempasses through the cover, the valve stem cap having been removed. Then the valve stem cap'is threaded on to the valve stem and the cover is firmlysecured in place, the rubber bumpers functioning to hold the cover against the inboard side of the retainers and out of engagement with the outboard side wall of the rim well and the disk.

Inthe modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, the wheel is a wire wheel of the demountable type and the rim I1 is formed in the same manner as the rim 2. The rubber bumpers l9, however, instead of being located to engage the outboard side wall of the rim we ll near its base, engage the outboard side wall near the outboard seat of the rim. These bumpers are secured in place by the sheet metal clips IS, the clips being fixedly secured to the peripheral flange 20 of the cover 2|. Instead of the valve stem cap 22 being threaded upon the valve stem, this cap extends into and threadedly engages the sheet .metal tubular member 23 which is fixedly secured inthe valve stem hole 24 formed in the outboard side wall of the rim well. As shown, the tubular member is riveted in place. The valve stem cap has an annular enlargement forabutting the outboard side of the cover.

Figures 7 and 8 disclose another modification in which the wheel is formed in substantially the same manner as that shown in Figures 1 and 2. However, instead of using a pair of retainers at the side of the axis of the cover opposite the valve stem, but one retainer 25 is used. this being diametrically opposite the valve stem. This retainer is in the nature of the projection 26 riveted to the outboard seat of the rim and the yieldable layer 21 preferably formed of rubberfor covering the portion of the projection extending radially inwardly beyond the seat. This rubber layer is and avoids marring of this cover.

engageable with the outboard side of the cover 29 The valve stem cap 29, instead of extending into the tubular member 39, encircles the same, the two being adapted to be secured together by threads. Rubber bumpers 3i corresponding to y the rubber bumpers i5 yieldably hold the parts from rattling. In the modification shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, the essential differences in construction reside in the rubber bumpers 32 and the valve stem cap means 33. The rubber bumpers are located to engage the outboard side of the rim ,well near the outboard seat and these bumpers are secured by the sheet metal clips 34, the bases of which are secured to the peripheral flange 35 of the cover 36. The clips have the end walls 31 for stifiening their portions to which the rubber bumpers are secured. The valve stem cap means 33 comprises the sheet metal tubular member 39 which is threaded on to the valve stem 39 and which has the enlargement 49 for abutting the cover 36. The valve stem cap means also comprises the valve stem cap 4| which extends freely into the tubular member and which is threaded on to the valve stem. With this arrangement, the valve stem cap may be removed to inflate the tire with: out loosening the means for securing the cover to the wheel.

Figure 12 discloses another modification in which the cover 42 engages at one side 0! its axis the inboard side of the retainer ,the valve stem 44 and its cap 45 being adapted to extend through the cover radially inwardly of the retainer. The cover is secured in place at the opposite side of its axis by the stud 46 which is fixedly secured to the outboard side of the rim well and the nut 41 threaded upon this 'stud and abutting the cover.

As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the valve stems extendfrom the rim at the juncture of the outboard side and the base oifthe rim vWelland the angular tubular fittings 49 and 46' are secured to these valve stems. The fitting 49 is adapted to extend through the cover 49 radially inwardly of the rubber protected retainer 50; as shown in therefrom and turning the sheared metal radial-'- ly inwardly to form the tongue 53 which is engageablewith the retainer. At the opposite side of the axis of the cover there is the screw 59 which abuts the outboard side of the cover and is threaded into the radially inwardly extending This retainer has' a radially inwardly projection 60 riveted to the rim. This screw is preferably permanently'secured to the cover by the split ring 6i which is secured in an annular groove in the shank of the screw near its head and which freely abuts the in-board side ofthe cover.

Figure 18 discloses another modification in which the retainer fixedly secured to the rim is also concealed by the cover, this particular construction being very similar to that shown particularly in Figure 16. At the opposite side of the axis of the cover them is the screw 62 for abutting the outboard side of the cover; this screw threadedly engaging the bracket 63 which is angle shaped and has one flange at the inner side of and riveted to the base 64 of the annular.

well of the rimf The screw is formed with the V-shaped annular groove 65 which is freely engaged by the frusto-conical depression 66 of the cover whereby the screw and the cover. are 'per-' manently freely secured together. Rubber bumpers, such as previously described, are also employed in this modification.

The modification shown in Flgure jm differs from that shown in,-Flgure 18 mainly in that the movable retainer for the cover comprises the nut 61 threaded upon the stud 69, which latter is secured to the rim. The nut has the solid enlarged portion 69' for.abutting the outboard.

side of, the cover and the spun or flanged portion 10 for abutting the inboard side of the cover, the two cooperating to permanently secure the nut to the cover and at the same time provide for the necessary relative movement of thenut and the cover.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a wheel having a tire carrying rim and a cover, of retaining means axis.

2. The combination with a wheel having a tire carrying rim and a cover, of retaining means permanently secured to said rim and engageable with said cover at one side of its axis, and retaining means comprising a cap enclosing the valve stem of the tire and engageable with said cover at the opposite side of its axis.

3. The combination with a wheel having a tire carrying rim and a cover, of retaining means on said rim and engageable with said cover at one side of its axis, and retaining means comprising a tubular member on said rim and encircling the valve stem of the tire, and a member engageable with said tubular member and also encircling the valve stem and engageable with said cover at the opposite side of its axis.

4. The combination with a wheel having a tire carrying rim and a cover, of retaining means on said rim and engageable with said cover at one side of its axis and retaining means comprising a tubular member secured to said rim and en circling the valve stem of the tire, and a cap for enclosing the valve stem, said cap detachably engaging said tubular member and having an enlarged portion for abutting said cover.

- FRANK H. LE JEUNE. 

